Milestone
/by Tuba
To continue with the theme of Homecoming and the bond that is Michigan football, I would like to offer my congratulations to Frank DiMaggio on his impending 100th consecutive game. And yes, for those of you who aren't familiar with the word consecutively and will undoubtedly ask, home and away? Yes, the man has awoken every Friday or Saturday morning (praise be to god, allah and peanut butter shakes) and made his journey to some far off (or very close) town, city, farm house, agricultural college or septic pool and gone to see the maize and blue embark on a seemingly endless tour of duty. From Pasadena to Bloomington and back, to the shores of Union Bay and picturesque Eugene, the man has endured.
But what is most remarkable is his resilience. Even after defeat, whether at the hands of an opponent (See Rose Bowl 2007) or a tailgate (See Rose Bowl 2007) he continues to thrive. He continues to post and he continues to lead us to what has become our tailgate salvation. But as we take a moment Saturday to honor the man let us not forget the people who have helped champion his quest; those who have endured Frank just as Frank has endured them. Just as any good husband would honor his wife for her never-ending love and devotion let me take a minute to congratulate Frank's many tailgating significant others who have no-doubt played a role in his tailgating life:
The Originators : Godfather and Captain. Maybe you see something in the webmaster that reminds you of yester year, or maybe you're too damn drunk to remember yester year and just enjoy the fact that you now have someone else to laugh at instead of each other.
The Trail Blazers : Dan and Stephen. It blows my mind that these guys go to every game with you. Maybe they get their sanity from the fact that you do what they're doing but at an accelerated life-style.
The Ladies : The Godmother, Lisa and all the other lovely girls in your life. So, yeah, thanks Godmother and Lisa.
Family : Your Sister, Nieces and Parents equally as lovely as the ladies. Certainly they're just as proud of your tailgating accomplishments as they are being a part of your life.
The Old Ladies : Misses A and Misses B, the two poor ladies sitting in the wrong row at the 2007 Rose Bowl. Everyone's a winner as the pictures were priceless and the stories will last forever, or in their case probably another five years or so.
The Rest of Us : Whether its rides to and from the airport, missed curfews, punches to the head, red wine on the couch, mud on the carpet, emptying septic tanks, re-designed tattoos or just your run of the mill tom foolery, your tailgating experience would be almost non-existent without the people you put up with....I mean your friends. Congrats Frank!
